I never got the animosity directed at Kieran Tierney when he and Celtic both accepted terms for a move to Arsenal. He had four years left on his contract, therefore Celtic could easily have retained the player, if they were unhappy at the deal. For Kieran, it was a chance to earn several times his income and play with a top club in the world’s top league.
Before he left in 2019, shortly after his 22nd birthday, there were murmurings of niggling injuries. No one was entirely convinced of his fitness. The subsequent years have seen hernia, shoulder and knee injuries, the latter of which remains the most concerning and is likely to inhibit his future options. Without the knee issue, he would be well out of Celtic’s reach.
There is little doubt that he is the best left back we have had in at least 30 years. He can comfortably perform at Champions League level and would be a leader on and off the park. After four years in England, however, there is no value-added to uncover. Kieran will not appreciate or attract lucrative bids.
If Celtic signed the player, they would invest a significant portion of wage budget (and possibly transfer funds) on a player who is off project. My rule of thumb: big wages and big transfer fees should be for players who will appreciate in value, hopefully attracting record bids before their contracts expire – like Jota or Cameron Carter-Vickers. This is the most effective way to grow a club and improve the playing stock.
There is still scope to sign players off project, Joe Hart being a prime example. Two years ago, we had a huge need for a player of Joe’s calibre and there was no injury profile to worry about. Aaron Mooy too.
I know Brendan Rodgers considers Kieran Tierney a tier one player, and Brendan was elsewhere while Greg Taylor was doing his thing last season. He may be tempted to move for Kieran. If so, it could be an early test of how smooth the recruitment operation works under the new boss.
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Still June and some teams are playing pre-season friendlies. Where does the time go?
On the blog piece, a loan deal rather than a transfer for KT would be more realistic, no?
“Before he left in 2019, shortly after his 2nd birthday”
See that Celtic nursery , crap so they ur ,canny even hold on to toddlers 😂😂😂😂😜😜
DENIABHOY
Which teams are playing pre-season friendlies just now?
Kieran Tierney was away like a two year old.
Motherwell won 1-0 yesterday
Kieran? If not problems, we would certainly be signing concerns. Remember the good times and move on.☘
Glendalys @ ages ago
The only thing certain about Ange is that he’ll get ‘emptied’ © Brendan
i think Tierney has one more big EPL contract to shoot for. If he came back it would be when he is 30 and hopefully over his injuries
KT was so upset about leaving Celtic – the toys were oot’ the pram.😉
BSR
Agreed . No one is exempt from EPL emptying . Not even Pep .
Well…..mibbe dear old great uncle Roy apart .
Coney Bhoy
I’ve no axe to grind with KT. We did well out of him. I think you are right about him having another big contract in England.
Wouldn’t be unhappy with him coming back on a loan but agree with Paul”s take on things.
I know we are talking hypotheticals about four years time, but I think if we had a choice at that point Andy Robertson would be a better bet. Both equally good players but KT’s long term fitness would be a concern for me.
I like Kieran.
Great lad.
Wish him well.
Lived the dream.
Played with passion but, more importantly, was a quality player.
To boot, when he left he made us a chunk of dough.
IMHO, the boy has absolutely nothing in the debit column.
Not pining for his return though.
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 28TH JUNE 2023 12:32 PM
good point; I think Robbo said he would want to come back at some point, but i may have made that up
Josh Tongue bowling for England.
A few wickets and the headlines tomorrow will be “Aussies get a tongue lashing”.
Perhaps KT’s great talent was also his misfortune . Playing on and on with knees pumped full of cortisone .
Coneybhoy
I had seen him quoted as saying he would like to do that . He said it wouldn’t be at the very end of his career like some others, he would want to be able to make a genuine contribution.
Also said his uncles wouldn’t be pleased if he came up and couldn’t do it.
That was what made me think of him as an option in a few years.
DENIABHOY on 28TH JUNE 2023 12:05 PM
Still June and some teams are playing pre-season friendlies. Where does the time go?
____
We play Fraserburgh on Saturday. 🤔 I assume it’ll be youth and B team players.
19.30
Cove Rangers (Sco)
Dunfermline (Sco)
–
–
19:45
Glentoran (Nir)
St. Mirren (Sco)
Have been thinking also of the Morrison and Hepburn cases and the question “do we wish them well?”
I was largely unaware of these young individuals at the time … but admit to feeling disproportionately disappointed when they left.
Came to understand it was nothing to do with either lad but, rather …
the manner of their leaving
(Celtic had no control)
who they went to
(plucked by bigger club, shoe definitely on other foot ! )
What that inferred about our “pathway”
(small time, amateurish sprung to mind).
The reality is we bring in a large number of lads – many of whom want to live the Tierney dream
… and we let the vast majority go.
Stands to reason then that a tiny fraction will let Celtic go before we do it to them?
So, to ANY footballer out there, reading this, who was once on Celtic’s books but is no more ?
I hope you lived the dream even just a little.
I unreservedly wish you all the best in your future career.
If you can’t be Kieran Tierney …
… be Andy Robertson
I agree p67. Tierney is not value for money. Leave the huns to pay record wages for guys warming the injury table, that’s their thing. Best of luck, KT.
Why would KT come back to a league where he gets no protection from the officials?
The boy could get a permanent career ending injury here.
Been howling at the screen for the last 24 hours on this one. This would be totally incoherent, especially after all the talk of scouting set-up, trading models and then we do this. It would be a poor start from BR if he does and even then he’d spend so much time on the treatment table.
Thx for the memories but it’s a no from me, KT.
HH
Seems some “Part time Bigot” supporters got a bit upset last night at my Brown post.
Sorry,he should have been sacked on the spot.We only have his word it was a joke,a view certainly not shared by his girlfriend,who I would surmise,knew him better than any of his apologists on here.
Anyone who sings this as a “Joke” to someone who he is telling he would be ” Up to his knees in her and her kinds blood” has bigoted tendencies.No “Oh what’s he like” statement from her.Just out the Bigot in public.
Then get your name trashed by the targets of his bile.Strange how some will accept sectarian abuse from one person,yet Dallas,is vilified for the same thingAn alleged “Joke”.
My main point was that while people were queuing up to post their Eulogies to Brown,his Brothers in the SFA were giving permission for the rabid vengeance hunters across the City,to take the SPFL to court.The Brotherhood strikes back.
Not a mention on here.
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 28TH JUNE 2023 12:55 PM
Why would KT come back to a league where he gets no protection from the officials?
The boy could get a permanent career ending injury here.
PRESTONPANS, agree totally, it was what I was thinking during the earlier posts. I had never seen a defender assaulted so openly on so many occasions that Kieran. The worst IMO was against Motherwell at Celtic Park. Right in front of the Lino, about 10 metres from the Hun-with-a-whistle, the Motherwell guy stamped on Kieran just above the left knee as KT was doing his trademark knocking the ball by the player on the outside and starting to chase it. It was THAT late! Play on said the Hun.
In the end I was surprised that Kieran actually made it down to Arsenal and passed a medical, given the level and frequency of assaults he suffered. And not a word from any of our coaches/managers?
Ave Ave
Anthony Joseph@AnthonyRJoseph·
Celtic have agreed terms with Melbourne City forward Marco Tilio.
It’s understood paperwork is being finalised and the Hoops hope to complete the transfer this week.
The Australia international, 21, can play on both wings and also as a centre forward.
#CelticFC
Guy on KDS, with a decent track record, did also suggest we have bunged Yung’s club a few bob to release him now and not January as they wanted.
We have opened up conversations with Brazilian winger Tete.
We have approached Swiss midfield superkid Jashari, but look set to miss out to the Germans.
And that Abada is a shoe-in to leave this summer. I’m assuming Jamesey has fallen off the roster as we look for pace and power. 4 wingers in Jota, Maeda, Tete & Jung. Number 10s in a Rogic / Roberts kinda way is Tilio & Haksa (not sure about the pace with him though)
We’re also in the market for a keeper.
Don’t come at me, I’m only a vessel csc
HH
An article which could have been lifted from The Sun,Tierney is on a basic wage between £90-120 I a week, get real.
KT? No thanks.
We need to be disciplined in our shopping. Figure out what we need, source it, try to buy it. We can’t get distracted by shiny things in a jewelry shop window when we are out to buy bread and milk.
But beyond that, KT isn’t as great as we think. Horribly one-footed. Awful body shape when receiving the ball, leaving him no choice but to make a 45 degree backwards pass.
His assets are his strength, pace, stamina, willingness to work very hard for the team. All of these assets are at the mercy of his body holding up.
Even if BR is tempted, the cost would be prohibitive.
And, he’s not what we really need right now.
Just my 2 cents….
Ronnie
A transfer is out the question…a loan deal however shouldn’t be if KT was willing to take a 35% pay cut and Arsenal were happy enough saving 3.5 million for the season!!!
Turkeybhoy .
Living in Ayrshire for a big percentage of my life , I’m well aware what constitutes a Hun bigot .
Craig Brown , wasn’t one of them.
He was a decent bloke .
To compare him singing the Billy Boys , down a phone
( according to a tabloid rag ) with “ his brothers “ in the SFA is a bit of red herring.
I’m only speaking from experience, that spending time with Craig Brown was a pleasure.
I can also speak from experience where I’ve had fears for my life , being in the wrong place, wrong time, in amongst proper Hun bigots and at other times where work or socialising brought me into their company.
Craig Brown had none of their characteristics.
Carry on tarnishing the memory of someone based on a tabloid story from a hurting ex , if you feel the need.
He was a decent bloke who loved sport & football.
There’s many many former Celtic players and supporters who knew the guy and admired him.
I can only imagine that you’ve lived a very good life , have an unblemished character and any time spent in the confession box is short and sweet.
I wish I could say the same but hey ho .
Only defending someone who can’t now defend himself. HH
Other, younger, fitter, healthier, cheaper Left Backs are available.
Across the globe.
HH
Who would win in a fight between a ‘ wonder kid ‘ and an ‘ unknown youngster ‘
Anybody else thinking, thon Maddison is never a Postecoglou kind of player….
Levy-sponsored ?
Hell mend him.
HH
EMERALDBEE \O/ A DOUBLE NINER!! on 28TH JUNE 2023 1:15 PM
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 28TH JUNE 2023 12:55 PM
Yes. Absolutely agree with both your comments.
So often a designated thug would stomp, batter or attempt a kind of drop-kick on Kieran. The worst the culprit could expect was a free kick deep in Celtic’s half. The other concerning feature of this thuggery was that KT had invariably cleared or passed the ball well before contact was made. It’s surprising that Kieran’s career in Scotland lasted as long as it did.
FRITZSONG
TBH I wouldn’t be surprised if these continuing injuries were attributed to the assaults, and that’s what they were, he received during his spell with us.
It would have to be a Loan & both Arsenal & KT himself would have to take a hit on wages.
Entire project sounds unlikely but I absolutely loved the kid and would welcome him back with open arms,
I see David Badboabie has had another contract ripped up; this time in Australia